Widener Named Finalist for Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Presidential
Award

Widener University has been selected as a Presidential Award Finalist for the 2013
President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition
a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning
and civic engagement. Widener, which has been named to the honor roll every year since
its inception in 2006, was one of only 14 institutions nationwide to be named a Presidential
Award Finalist, and one of only 113 institutions to make the honor roll “With Distinction.”"To be named a Presidential Award Finalist is a tribute to the students, faculty and
staff of Widener University and their dedication to our civic engagement mission,"
said Widener University President James T. Harris III. "It is also a testament to
the willingness and enthusiasm of the community organizations we partner with in Chester,
Delaware and Harrisburg. These initiatives are successful because we all work together
as one."

This year, Widener was honored for three exemplary civic engagement initiatives:

The Widener Partnership Charter School (WPCS): The first university-based charter
school in Pennsylvania, WPCS currently serves about 400 students in grades K-7. The
school, which takes a holistic approach to education, serves the children and families
of Chester. The WPCS aims to achieve three specific goals: to increase the number
of STEM-prepared, college-eligible high school graduates; to strengthen students'
preparation for STEM-focused high school education; and to enhance parents' capacity
to support their child's academic success.

The Widener University Child Development Center: Created in 1981 to provide quality
early childhood education for children ages 3 to 6, the center strives to be a model
early childhood program for families, future teacher candidates, university students,
faculty members, and the community. Fifty percent of the children represent low-income
families, and about 25 percent live in the city of Chester.

The College Access Center of Delaware County: An initiative of the Chester Higher
Education Council, a consortium of six area colleges and universities, the College
Access Center of Delaware County provides county residents with college and career
awareness, study skills development, tutoring, mentoring, and assistance with their
college application and financial aid process.

In recent years, Newsweek ranked Widener among the top service-minded colleges and
universities in the nation. The university has also ranked among the top institutions
in the annual Washington Monthly rankings since the magazine's inaugural college issue
in 2005. In addition, Widener was among the first universities in the nation to be
categorized as a "community engagement" institution by the Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching in 2006.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers the Honor
Roll, admitted a total of 690 colleges and universities. Of that total, 572were named
to the Honor Roll, 113 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 14
were identified as Presidential Award Finalists, and five received the Presidential
Award.

"We congratulate the awardees and the students for their dedication to service," said
Wendy Spencer, chief executive officer of CNCS. "These institutions have inspired
students and faculty alike to roll up their sleeves and work alongside members of
the community to solve problems and improve their neighbors' lives."

"Communities are strengthened when we all come together, and we are encouraged that
these institutions and their students have made service a priority," said U.S. Secretary
of Education Arne Duncan. "Civic engagement should be a key component of every student's
education experience. Through reaching out to meet the needs of their neighbors, these
students are deepening their impact, strengthening our democracy and ultimately preparing
themselves to be successful citizens."

CNCS manages the program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the American Council on Education
and Campus Compact. For a full list of recipients, visit www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.

The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll honors the nation's
leading higher education institutions and their students, faculty and staff for their
commitment to bettering their communities through service. These are institutions
that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes
in their communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that
engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps,
the Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads President Obama's
national call to service initiative, United We Serve. Through the agency's Segal AmeriCorps
Education Award Matching Program, CNCS gives education institutions access to tens
of thousands of AmeriCorps alumni with millions of dollars in Segal Education Awards
for tuitions and fees. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.

Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to
social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal
attention, leadership development and experiential learning are key components of
the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener is
comprised of eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences, professional
and pre-professional curricula leading to associate's, baccalaureate, master's and
doctoral degrees. The university's campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa.,
and Wilmington, Del., serve some 6,500 students. Visit the university website, www.widener.edu.